Our Adventures in Thailand Continue

Day two of our Chiang Mai conference was a success. It seems no matter where we go there are connections to be made with the people we meet. This morning the meeting began with a presentation from a representative from BYU Hawaii, Keni Kalama, who was taking advantage of having seven managers together in the Asia Area.

This morning was also our presentation to the Managers, along with Elder and Sister Ricks. We discussed our role as Self-Reliance Missionaries working with the SRS Managers. We had a very good discussion.  Lunch was another adventure. We were shown how to make a Thai dish called Som Tam, which is very similar to food we have eaten in Cambodia. 

At the conclusion of our meetings today, we climbed into vans and Keni Kalani joined us for an outing to the Doi Suthep Temple. In visiting with him during our drive up a windy mountain road, we quickly found a common friend. Sister Thurston had been an adviser his senior year in high school, and they had become good friends.

The Doi Suthep Temple sits on top of a mountain overlooking the city of Chiang Mai. This was a narrow, winding, mountain road. It has been raining the past few days so the trees and foliage were very green. We have seen more mountains and jungle here than we see in Phnom Penh. The houses and buildings are not so closely place, and Thailand has been refreshingly clean and orderly.

Dinner tonight was traditional Thai food. One thing about this trip is there has not been a lack of good food to eat. Our group included Nathan from Thailand, Bobby from Malaysia, Elder and Sister Ricks from Thailand, Chad Furness Area Manager from Taiwan, Baatara from Mongolia, Phanna from Cambodia, Ricky from Indonesia, Steve from Taiwan, John from India, Leon from Hong Kong, and us (Sister and Elder Oveson) from Cambodia. What a great day!